Courage to Love
by silver brilliance
Summary: Sequel to Choices to Make. Danny moved to Ohio, and met Jeslyn Hills, someone he came to regard as special to him...then he had to leave for another mission, where he will meet someone he did not expect to meet...Finished! Pls review!
1. Starting anew

Author's note: Hello to all! Up with my new sequel. :P I hope you will enjoy this story. Do review! I didn't base this story on any actual events, so I am not sure about the historical accuracy. Danny is taken from the movie, and the other characters mentioned in the chapter from the movie are Rafe, Evelyn, Gooz and Red, but the other characters here are mine:P Sorry for the long wait, but I have a whole load of revision to do for the upcoming examinations. I wouldn't be able to upload frequently after this...until after the examinations, which is about two weeks later. Keep the reviews coming though! I need more ideas for the story.

Read and enjoy!

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Chapter 1

Jeslyn Hills stretched luxuriously and yawned. It was the start of yet another day in Ohio. She was relatively new here, and could not afford to buy her own house yet. Her room was rented from Mrs. Johann, an amiable landlady whom the tenants fondly addressed as Mother J. A motherly figure to all her tenants, it was through Mrs. Johann that Jeslyn got her new job at the local bar. The locals were friendly, and she settled down quickly with the help of her colleagues at the bar, many of whom she had become fast friends with. Her friends were so vibrant and full of life that it was hard not to like them. Dania Parker, a fellow waitress at the bar and also a tenant at Mother J's, had become her best friend, and played a huge part in Jeslyn's new found life. Jeslyn could not imagine how life would be like without Dania there to add cheer to everything.

Getting out of bed, Jeslyn moved over to her small dressing table to comb her hair. Her emerald eyes darkened somewhat as they fell on a small photo that she had carefully framed up and placed on her table. It filled her with a longing for the life she used to have, reminding her of the reason for her sudden move to Ohio. If only things hadn't happened the way they did…in her mind, Jeslyn could still see the sunlight shining in through the blue curtains at the window in her old room every morning. It seemed as if it were only yesterday that she bade goodbye to her parents on her way to work. Jeslyn reached out to touch the picture lovingly. "I love you, Mum and Dad." Despite knowing that putting the picture that she took with her parents in front of their house would remind her of what she had lost, Jeslyn couldn't bring herself to put it anywhere else. It was the only thing she had from the life she had left behind. It was the only way she could see her parents again. Holding the picture up, Jeslyn gave her parents a small kiss, and hurried off to the bathroom to wash up. Her parents would not want her to dwell on unhappy events in the past.

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Danny Walker didn't feel like getting out of bed. It was a lovely Sunday morning, and he had the whole day to himself. The previous mission had gone more smoothly than he had expected, but what happened afterwards was definitely unexpected. He thought he would be sent back to Pearl Harbor after the mission was completed, but it appeared that the general had other plans for him. The air base in Ohio was currently his new address. He had gotten along well with the pilots at the Ohio air base, but that did not prevent him from missing his friends back at Pearl Harbor. Gooz, Red, Rafe…all of them must be cursing him to his bones for not keeping contact with them ever since he left for training in Long Island a year before.

Sighing, Danny fell back on his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. He missed them so much. Of course he wanted to keep in contact. They were the best friends he ever had, and Danny was sure he could never find any others who knew him as well. But he didn't. He didn't write so much as a letter to any of them in the year that he left Pearl Harbor, because he couldn't bring himself to. All of them need time to adjust to the changes that had happened since America got involved in the war. He had lied to his friends when he told them that he was assigned on the mission, when it had just been his excuse to get away from Pearl Harbor, to retreat from the awkward relationship that had developed between Rafe, Evelyn and him. How was he going to continue writing letters to them, and pretend that nothing had happened?

Well, he did write a letter to Rafe immediately after he returned from the mission, but the letter had not reached him. Apparently, shortly after he left, Rafe and his friends were sent on another mission and Evelyn had quitted her job as a nurse. He didn't leave any address for them to contact him when he left, so there was no way they could contact _him _when _they _left.

That was how they had fallen out of contact with each other, and he had been unable to contact them since.

Sitting up suddenly, Danny pushed down all his unhappy thoughts. He had started on a new life, and this was the life he had chosen for himself. No way was he going to lament on the past, and waste time indoors when he could be outside enjoying a well-deserved break. He believed that he would meet his friends again someday, and that was all that mattered. If he kept living in the past, he was going to end up pathetically lonely in this new environment. New friends needed to be found, and much other stuff needed to be done.

Talking about stuff that had to be done…Danny stretched and glanced at his private schedule on his bedside table. He stared at what was written there for the day for a moment, until the words finally registered in his brain. Danny yelped and rushed off to the bathroom to wash up, after which he pulled on a simple white T-shirt and a pair of brown pants, and escaped through his room door. The hallway leading to the front door had never seemed so long.

A gust of wind blew through the open window, and the slip of paper tacked onto Danny's bedside table fluttered onto the floor. On it, written clearly in his own handwriting, was the event of the day:

_Morning breakfast with Delt and the rest at 8.30am. A surprise planned. Have to attend. Location: Haluna Pub. P.S. Do not be late. _

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed nine times in a cheerful tone on Danny Walker's 27th birthday.

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P.S. How did you think of this chapter? Please review! 


	2. A familiar stranger

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! Very encouraging. My writing skills still need a lot of improvement, so do continue reviewing and tell me the places where I need to improve on. Still trying to brush up on my descriptions…but anyway, here's my new chapter. It's kind of long. Happy reading, and remember to review!

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Chapter 2

Haluna Pub was extremely popular in town. Open twenty-four seven around the clock, it was the ideal place for parties or small celebrations of sorts, as well as a little drink from time to time. Strategically located in the town centre, slightly apart from the entertainment centre, the small pub's business flourished despite the lack of space. A glittering neon sign depicting the pub's name hung prominently over the entrance, attracting the attention of everyone within a radius of 500 meters, rendering it indispensable to the publicity of the pub.

On the first day Jeslyn came to work in the pub, she was struck by its striking resemblance to the pub back in Hawaii, where she had worked in for a period of time. The owner of the Haluna Pub had chosen a Hawaiian theme, furnishing the pub with mostly wooden furniture, and placing small potted plants in various corners. There were two potted plants standing outside the entrance, but Jeslyn did not know their names. They looked like miniature versions of the palm trees that used to grow outside the pub back in Hawaii, and the familiar sight filled her with a sense of belonging. Soft orange lights glowed in the ceiling, adding tinges of elegance and romance to the atmosphere. Well, as elegant and romantic as a pub could be, considering the noises that comes with a huge crowd.

Ironic as it may seem, the noisy and bustling environment provides the customers with more privacy than other restaurants and cafes. With the noise level being kept at a relatively high level, it was practically impossible to eavesdrop on conversations, and people come and go without being noticed by others in the pub. The waitresses and bartenders are kept busy by the huge crowd, and the customers are too caught up in their own problems and conversations to notice a group of people whispering secrets in each other's ears. Also, if the customers preferred, they could request for a table in the back lounge and porch, offering them the privacy that they needed. Though not many customers would have such a request as they came to the pub specifically for the noisy and bustling environment, the few secluded tables still came in handy from time to time.

It was no wonder that Haluna Pub was frequented by many. Not only did it provide a pleasing environment for a drink and excellent service, the food there was remarkable as well. Jeslyn especially loved the pork cutlet that the pub offers every Wednesday. The chef managed to cook the cutlet just the way she liked it. Crispy on the outside, the meat remained tender and juicy on the inside, and the sauce that came with it…it made Jeslyn hungry just to think of it, even though she had just had her breakfast. It's just three more days to wait until the cutlet is available, she comforted herself, making a mental note to reserve Wednesday's dinner for her favorite dish. Come to think of it, she wasn't on duty this coming Wednesday, which meant that she would be able to enjoy the day without having to worry about being late for work.

The waitresses at the pub worked on four-hour shifts, and their employer gave them all at least an entire day off work each week. Jeslyn's shift starts at six every weekday evening and ends at around 10 at night, though she knew all too well that the crowd at night was unpredictable, and there were many times when she only got off work at 12 midnight. Things get worse during weekends, but she was not affected as her weekend shift was in the morning, from 8 to 12 in the afternoon. Luckily, Mr. Thomson, her employer, was very fair and understanding, and he "refunded" the hours that his workers had to work overtime. Each time she worked overtime, she got the hours back as extra leave to take a rest whenever she chose. The good business that the pub brings meant that Mr. Thomson could afford to employ many waitresses and bartenders, offering a reasonable wage and allowing his workers more freedom to themselves as there would be someone available to take their place if they went on leave, and they need not worry that their absence would affect the efficiency of the pub. For Jeslyn, her day's off was on Wednesdays, and on other days before her shift at the pub, she would work part-time at the entertainment centre nearby as a cashier for the town cinema. Even though her wages didn't amount to much, she was able to pay her rent and occasionally have enough to save up as extra savings, and that was enough for her. She didn't mind having to work two jobs at the same time, because most of the time she just wanted to be doing something rather than idling about. It took her mind off the other things that she was trying hard to forget.

"Daydreaming again?" Dania teased as she swept by with a tray full of drinks. Dania worked the same shifts as Jeslyn, and Jeslyn was thankful to have her around. Being perpetually cheerful and outgoing, she played a big role in helping Jeslyn settle down in her new environment. Dania had worked at the pub for a year before she came, having dropped out of school to earn money for her family, and she had been the first to befriend Jeslyn, introducing her to all her fellow colleagues. Jeslyn made fast friends with the staff at the pub, helping her make a smooth transition into her new life. Again, she wondered what she would have done without Dania. Though quite an outgoing character herself, she would still have needed some time to get used to the new surroundings. Having to spend the transition period without new friends was lonely and torturous. Thanks to Dania, she was spared that misery.

Making a face at her friend, Jeslyn smiled and returned her gaze to the entrance. She was not occupied by orders at the moment, so it was up to her to usher any new customers who came in.

The person who came in next caught her attention. He looked familiar somehow… tousled brown hair, white shirt and brown pants…around six feet tall…Jeslyn frowned, trying to recall where she had seen him before. Having worked in pubs since she was sixteen, she had developed the ability to recognize any customer whom she had served when she saw them, though she rarely knew their names. It helped to be able to recognize old customers, as many of them became part of her wide group of friends with various interesting stories to tell, and she loved hearing stories.

Absorbed in her own thoughts, Jeslyn forgot to go forward and usher in the newcomer. He stood at the entrance for a moment, looking rather lost as he scanned the crowd, searching for somebody. Just then, a shout came from across the pub, "Hey Walker! Over here!"

A relieved smile broke out on his face and he made his way through the crowd, over to a table where a few others were sitting. Oh, she remembered that group. They were pilots from the air base, and occasionally they came to the pub for small gatherings of sorts. They had come in at around 8.15 this morning, ordered a few drinks, and sat there talking softly among themselves. The pub was relatively quiet in the morning, since the crowd had not started coming in yet, so she could hear them joking about how this Walker guy would probably forget to come for his own birthday celebration, and coming up with all sorts of strange things to do if he didn't turn up. So, this was who they were waiting for.

_Walker_…Jeslyn realized that she was staring and shook her head slightly, scolding herself for neglecting her duty. Smiling her best waitress smile, she went over to take any orders from the newcomer.

"Drinks, sir?"

"The strongest champagne you have, miss." Before Walker could speak, one of his friends ordered for him. Grinning evilly at Walker, he said in a mock-threatening voice, "The price for being late, so you'd better pay it." A chorus of agreements rose from the others.

Flashing her a small guilty smile, Walker ignored his friends and said, "Plain water, thanks."

Jeslyn nodded and moved away, while Walker was overwhelmed by protests from his friends. Their voices got smaller as she moved away from their table, but she could hear snippets if she concentrated hard enough. And concentrate she did. This Walker guy was definitely familiar. Not someone she met in Ohio. She had a nagging feeling that she had seen him before she came to Ohio, back in Pearl Harbor…

"This is your birthday you know…how could you drink just plain water?" "You know I don't drink, Kyle…" "Come on now, Danny…"

Danny. His name is Danny. Danny Walker. Jeslyn's eyes lit up in realization as she finally recalled where she had seen him before. He was a pilot back in Pearl Harbor, and she had seen him quite a number of times hanging out with his friends in the pub, but every time she took his order, it was plain water. This was why she remembered him, because it was rare that a person asked for plain water in a pub boasting the finest wine in town.

Ah yes, she had seen him once just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He had come to the pub looking for his friends, but a fight broke out in the pub soon after, and she hadn't seen him since.

_If he was from Pearl Harbor, what is he doing here? _Jeslyn thought. It was such a coincidence that she met someone from Pearl Harbor here in Ohio. Most of the people she knew had died in the attack…

It was with conflicting feelings that she went back to her rented apartment that night. She had not expected to meet anyone from Pearl Harbor here. Danny Walker's appearance, though she hadn't known him personally, had stirred some unknown emotions in her heart. When he had stood in the entrance, she had seen a fleeting flicker of surprise and pain in his face. From the way he looked around the pub for his friends, she could tell that he was unfamiliar with the surroundings, and it was highly likely that he had not been to the pub before. The Hawaiian theme of the pub had struck him the same way it struck her when she first entered. He had quickly clamped down on his feelings afterwards, the way she had done in order to conceal her own secrets, and there was no trace of any initial surprise and pain he had felt. So he had some secrets to hide as well…something related to Pearl Harbor. Just like her.

Before she fell asleep, images of Danny Walker appeared in her mind. His every action, his voice, his face…somehow she could not forget him. He seemed to be a link to her past. Along with his image surfaced memories of Pearl Harbor, the happiness that she had, and the devastation when everything was destroyed…

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P.S. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do review! I live on reviews! 


	3. The haunting past

Author's note: I'm going out of the country for one and a half months, so I am not able to update during that period… sorry for the long delay. Hope I get more reviews for this chapter than the previous one. Rafe and Danny are taken from the movie. To learn more about what happened between Danny and his father, read "Choices to make". Haha, advertising for my previous story. Keep the reviews coming, people!

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Chapter 3 

In his hurry, Danny didn't recognize the Hawaiian theme of the pub until he was through the entrance. He halted, staring at the scene in front of him, and could almost believe that he was back in Pearl Harbor. The soft orange lights, wooden furniture, crowded atmosphere…it was so similar. Looking at the layout of the pub, flashes of a more familiar pub emerged in his mind: the small mourning session he and the rest of the pilots had held in memory of Rafe when they thought he had died, Rafe's celebration for his returning from the "dead", the fight that broke out afterwards… _no, that was in the past. _He thought decidedly, forcing down memories of his past life for the umpteenth time. _I have to get rid of my habit of dwelling on the past. Someday. Better to come back to the present and live my own life._ _Talking about that, where are Delt and the rest? _

It was the first time Danny had come to the Haluna Pub. Kyle Delt, a fellow pilot, had asked him to come drinking with them a couple of times, but he always declined. Drinking always reminded him of his father, the drunken wreck his father had become after fighting in World War I. Every time he went home from school, the smell of alcohol greeted him, and he would see his father slumped over the kitchen table, still obsessed with his drinking. Sometimes he wondered whether he was more important to his father, or the alcohol that never seemed to leave his father's hand. He made it a policy only to drink when it was necessary, only to avoid becoming what his father had become. Only recently, he had learnt of his father's true feelings towards him, but it had been too late to make up for a lost childhood. It had been alcohol that had broken up his family. No way was he going to let it destroy his life again.

Coming out of his thoughts, Danny felt oddly out of place standing stupidly at the entrance, with everyone else engaged in some kind of activity and apparently feeling at home with the environment. For a moment, he felt lost, not knowing where his friends were. Scanning the crowd, Danny caught sight of an auburn-haired waitress leaning against the bar facing the entrance. She seemed to be staring at…him. Slightly uncomfortable, Danny looked down at his clothes, thinking that maybe he had gotten an odd-looking stain somewhere, but his clothes looked normal.

Brows creasing, Danny looked more closely at the waitress just to be sure, and was assured by the fact that even though she was looking in his direction, there wasn't any eye contact, so she wasn't staring at him. Judging from her expression, she was probably thinking about something. Embarrassed, Danny turned back to the crowd. It was rude to stare, much less at a complete stranger.

Just then, a shout from across the pub saved him from further embarrassment. "Hey Walker! Over here!" That was Kyle's voice. Relieved, Danny smiled and made his way over. "Hi guys…" he was overwhelmed by a series of back-thumping and mock accuses before he could complete his sentence. Oh, right. He had been so caught up by the seeming familiarity of the pub that he had almost forgotten the purpose of his trip here. It was his birthday celebration, and he was late. His friends weren't going to let him forget this any time soon.

"Fancy being late for your own birthday, Walker." Ryan Taylor grinned at Danny. "And someone said he would remember to come on time."

"Yeah." Kyle chipped in. "You're going to pay for this, dearly."

Danny tried to defend himself. "Come on guys, I wasn't that late…" His excuse sounded weak even to his own ears. Giving up, he surrendered. "Oh alright, then."

Just then, a waitress came over. "Drinks, sir?" It was the same auburn-haired waitress whom he had seen just now. Danny was struck slightly by her accent. It was not the local accent, that he was sure of. It sounded…Hawaiian. It _was_ Hawaiian. Brushing aside the thought, Danny was annoyed with himself. He was being over-sensitive. Even a small detail like the accent of someone whom he had never met before until today was enough to trigger off memories of Pearl Harbor.

Before Danny could reply, Ryan placed his order for him. "The strongest champagne you have, miss." An evil grin still on his face, he said in a mock-threatening voice, "The price for being late, so you'd better pay it." A chorus of agreement rose from his friends.

Exasperated, Danny flashed her a small guilty smile as compensation for his friends' nonsense. He ignored them and said, "Plain water, thanks."

The waitress nodded and moved away. The moment she left, Ryan protested. "Hey, no one drinks plain water here."

"Yeah, this is your birthday, you know. You ought to be celebrating with every means possible. Drink yourself silly if you like. You don't get a chance like this everyday, how could you drink just plain water?" Kyle asked, uncomprehending. "If it were me, I would drink myself silly the moment I get the chance to."

"You know I don't drink, Kyle. It's not the first day you know me. Plain water suits me just fine."

Danny was spared from further complaints as the waitress returned with his drink, and he smiled at her gratefully for giving him a break from his friends' questions. Kyle could be quite persistent once he got his mind onto something, and Danny did not want him to start promoting the benefits of drinking. Kyle could come up with all sorts of arguments to support his stand that drinking is good for people, though it was obvious that the truth was the exact opposite.

The waitress smiled politely back at him, and then she hurried off to another table to take the orders of some people who had just entered the pub. Danny could not help but stare at her retreating figure. Why was it that he found her smile familiar?

Troubled, he turned back to his friends, and tried to listen to their conversation, forcing the image of the waitress out of his head.

_

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Air planes zoomed by overhead, engines screaming. Ships in the harbor exploded into flames. Screams, shrill and desperate, rang out everywhere. Bullets, mercilessly cutting down people who didn't get under cover quickly enough. Blood everywhere. All around, friends were cut down, and a sense of helplessness rose up, burning the heart, scalding the lungs. Tears flowed freely. The place that had come to be home was now something entirely unrecognizable. Oh please, let it stop! Oh no, not him, not them… _

Danny bolted upright in his bed, sweating profusely. He looked wildly around his room, half expecting bombs to blow up all around him, and for a moment he barely remembered where he was. Then his mind registered his surroundings, and Danny remembered that it had been more than a year since the attack on Pearl Harbor. The memories of the attack were still fresh on his mind, memories of the day that brought the war to him. In the dream, he had seen Rafe get shot by the planes, and his friends trapped underneath burning buildings, screaming for help, and he had been unable to do anything to help them…no, that had not happened. It was just a dream.

Thank goodness he had a room to himself. If any of his new friends knew that he was so shaken by a dream, he would never hear the end of it. Or perhaps they would want to know why he had such nightmares, and he would have to reveal more of his past life that he was currently trying very hard to stay away from.

Danny breathed deeply to calm himself down. The nightmares had started again. It had been so long, so long since the last time he was woken up in the middle of the night like this, with the attack on Pearl Harbor replaying in his mind. Though he had seen many more actions of war since then, the memories of the attack still had an effect on him. He had thought he was over that stage. Why had the nightmares started again?

Maybe it was the pub. It looked so much like the one back in Pearl Harbor, it must have triggered off something in his brain. And the waitress…she had seemed so familiar, and her Hawaiian accent…

Burying his head in his hands, Danny groaned softly. Oh, why wouldn't the past leave him alone?

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In a block a few streets away, Jeslyn Hills woke up from her nightmare with tears streaming down her face. The past had come back to haunt her. She had seen her parents waving to her cheerily from the doorway, and suddenly, bomb explosions sounded all around her, and her parents disappeared. In their place were the charred ruins that her house had become, and there was no trace of her parents. 

She sat up, and another tear rolled down her cheek. Reaching for the photo of her parents on her bedside table, Jeslyn hugged it close to her chest. How she missed her parents. How she missed her home. It had been a long time since she had nightmares about the events that day, but now it had come back.

Jeslyn had calmed down considerably by now, and was feeling slightly embarrassed about her violent reaction to her dream. It was just a dream after all. She had promised herself on the day she left Pearl Harbor that she was going to put the past behind her, and that was a promise she meant to keep. It was the best way she could think of to prevent herself from getting hurt again.

Weird, didn't she wake Dania up? Dania lived in the same room as her, and she was quite a light sleeper. Judging from her sweat and tears, she probably had very violent reactions to her nightmare...looking across the room, Jeslyn saw an empty bed. Frowning, she switched on the bedside lamp to check the time. Ah, 3.30am. Dania was working the midnight shift today, and she wouldn't be back until 4am. It was jsut as wel that Dania wasn't here. She was sure to ask about the dream, and Jeslyn didn't like to talk about her past.

Maybe it was because Danny Walker's appearance reminded her of the life she used to have. After all, he came from Pearl Harbor as well. She couldn't seem to forget him, especially the expression that flashed across his face when he took in the Hawaiian theme of Haluna Pub. It told of pain and loss, similar feelings that she had where Pearl Harbor was concerned.

If only she hadn't recognized him as someone she had seen on Pearl Harbor…Jeslyn sighed and flopped back on her bed, still clutching her parents' photo. She lay that way for a long time, unable to fall asleep.

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P.S. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review! It doesn't take very long to submit a review, really. 


	4. Linked through the sunset

Author's note: Hi! Up with my new chapter. Please do review my story and tell me what you think. The review rate recently has been quite discouraging...not many people reviewed. :( Hope you like this chapter, and remember to review! You don't need to be a member of to submit a review, and it doesn't take very long. Do, do review! Alright, I think it would be kind of repetitive if I keep mentioning in the beginning of my chapters that Rafe, Danny and Evelyn are from the movie and the rest of the characters are mine. So I shall put it here once and for all. Rafe, Danny, Evelyn, Red, Gooz, Danny's father, Danny's son are from the movie. Other than these characters, the other characters are mine. I will mention others from the movie if I include them in my story, but other than that, I wouldn't be putting notes like this before my chapters so you can enjoy my story better.

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Chapter 4 

The sun blazed a glorious red as it began its slow descent from the sky. Everywhere, buildings, vehicles, people, and the sea were bathed in the last rays of the day. A lone figure sat on a rock under a palm tree, looking out on the beach, watching children play in the sand. A small wistful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as Danny thought of his child. He didn't even know if his child was a boy or a girl. He hadn't had time to find that out before he left. In fact, other than knowing he had a child, he didn't know anything else, not even the name. Just the knowledge that he had a child…

A mother called out to her children on the beach, and two boys ran joyously over to her. She was carrying a baby girl in her arms, and somehow, Danny saw Evelyn in that image: carrying a baby in her arms and smiling happily as she walked back to her husband's side. Not him, of course. Rafe, his best friend, was the one going to be the father to his child, and the husband of the girl he loved.

Danny imagined his child, around one-year-old now, playing around in the sand, possibly in the wheat fields back in Tennessee, and he felt a pang of regret. He would never know his child. Nor would his child ever know him. That was what war did: break up families. The First World War had broken his own family. His father left to fight for the country and came back a changed man, and Danny hadn't had as happy a childhood as he hoped. If only his father hadn't fought in the war, things would have been different. He would have been a happy kid…If only there wasn't a war going on now…if only the war hadn't started… There were so many "if only"s that he could think of, but none of them would ever come true. Simply because what had happened had happened.

The sunset was so beautiful, but in his heart, the sunset at Pearl Harbor would always be the most beautiful of them all. Once, to cheer Evelyn up after they learnt about Rafe's supposed death, he had brought her up in his plane to watch the sunset. He had not done so since, because it reminded him too much of Evelyn, and of what he had lost…

Goodness, what was he doing? Danny shook himself fiercely, fighting back the memories that threatened to break through the careful barrier he had set up around himself a year before, when he left Pearl Harbor. It wasn't the first time he found himself lapsing into wishful thinking of the past, and how things might have been if he had done some things differently. Sometimes it had even become a habit, and a small thing like the accent of that waitress or watching the sunset could remind him of Pearl Harbor. How was he going to get on with his life like this?

He was doing just what he told Evelyn not to do, and that was to dwell on the past. Sometimes he forgot that he had a life to live here. Danny had made many hard choices in his life, and he had gotten over all of them. This one shouldn't be an exception. He could get over his feelings for Evelyn if he was determined enough to do it.

Deep down, Danny knew that his longing for the past was partly because he hadn't fully relinquished his feelings for Evelyn. In fact, he had been unwilling to. Evelyn was someone special to him, and so was Rafe. To have to give them up might have torn him apart, and if he dwelled on those thoughts any longer, it could have already torn him apart. Leaving had been his own choice, to make things better for everyone, so what was he doing making things difficult for himself? When he just left Pearl Harbor, everything was still fresh on his mind, and he could still be quite emotional when it comes to things related to his life there.

Now that he had a year to cool down, he was able to look at things in a much more logical way. It was just that he hadn't gotten down to doing it. Danny was aware that what he had been doing for the past year was avoid his past, as if that would do him any good.

That was not the way to deal with things. He, of all people, should know what to do to make the past less painful. Wasn't that what he did when he left his father so many years ago to join the army, despite his father's wishes otherwise? Even though his father had not been the model of an ideal father, he was still his father, but Danny was sure flying was what he wanted in his life, and so h made that choice. He had pursued his dreams, and though he never regretted his choice, he had to let go of the only relative he had left on Earth, and learning of his father's death soon after hadn't made things any better. For a period of time after that, he had avoided all talk of Tennessee, cutting himself off to prevent himself from feeling the pain of loss. It was only until a couple of months later that he forced himself to return to his hometown, and pay respects at his father's grave. Strangely enough, it made him feel a lot better to be able to stand there and tell his father about his life in the army. It hadn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

So that was what he was going to do now. The best way to let go of the past, was to face it. With new-found determination, Danny rose from his "seat", and strode purposefully towards the hangar. Nothing felt better than flying his plane, and that was just what he was going to do. The first thing he had to confront from his past was his feelings for Evelyn, and he had to get over that once and for all. He shouldn't allow his memories of Evelyn to stop him from taking his plane up at sunset to enjoy the view he loved so much. Evelyn would not have wanted that too.

He was going for a spin in the air, and no amount of rules against flying after 6.00pm was going to stop him.

Oh alright, he would make it short then. After all, he had never been one for breaking rules. Glancing at his watch as he strapped himself into the cockpit, he smiled and started gearing up. 15 minutes to go. This was going to some tight flying if he was going to get back on time. A challenge. He liked that. It wasn't as if he hadn't done it before.

* * *

Jeslyn closed her eyes and breathed in the cool sea breeze. She loved the way the breeze tugged at her curls. Her father used to look at her with the smile he reserved for her, and say, "You have your mother's hair." Subconsciously, she reached up and touched her hair, and a sad smile flicked across her lips. Then she raised her head up to look at the sky. It was a brilliant red by now. She loved coming to the beach just before the sunset, and she had been lucky to find an apartment near the beach. Softly, she whispered, "I love you, Daddy and Mummy." 

A lone plane flew high overhead. Oh yes, the air base was somewhere near as well, and occasionally she got to see the pilots train when she wasn't at work. This must be one of them out for some late training…no, there never was any planes after 6.00pm. From what she heard from the pilots who frequented the pub, they are not allowed to train after 6.00pm. Though what was the reason for that rule she never understood. Frowning slightly, she looked at her watch. 5.50pm. The guy must be mad. No way was he going to get back on time, unless he was really fast. What was he doing, training at such a late hour?

She watched as the plane made loops in the air, rolled, spun…it didn't look like normal training. Sometimes she came down to the beach to watch the planes fly by during their training, and this was nothing like that. There would always be more than one plane, at least, if it were normal training. She had never seen anything like what the pilot was doing now.

No, wait. She had, Jeslyn realized. There had been a period of time, some months before Pearl Harbor was attacked, when she had watched a plane do something like that too: take off, fly around in some intricate complicated dance in the air and return to the base just before the training time is over. She had thought it was some kind of training, but it had been strange for training to involve only one plane.

The plane did similar stunts for a couple of days, and Jeslyn watched it everyday, growing to admire the pilot's skill, even though she didn't know anything about planes. After some time, the plane stopped coming. She never knew who the pilot was…could it be?

Eyes widening, she watched as this plane before her maneuvered out of a tight loop in the sky and did some other complicated looking stunts. So similar to the plane she watched back then…her mind flashed back to the pilot called Danny Walker. He was the only one she knew who came from Pearl Harbor. Could she have been watching him fly back then?

A few minutes before 6.00pm, the plane dipped its wings at the setting sun, looped around and flew back in the direction of the base.

Jeslyn got up slowly from the sand, brushing her jeans free of the sand. It was almost time for her shift to start.

She couldn't get the image of the plane out of her mind though. Looks like Dania was right. Dania had teased her about Walker since the day she found her staring at him standing in the entrance of the pub. Jeslyn had insisted it was nothing, that she was just curious to see someone from Pearl Harbor here, but Dania only laughed. "You won't forget about him so easily." She had said.

Yeah, true. Even if she wanted to forget about him, she couldn't. He wasn't giving her the chance. Maybe people call it intuition, but Jeslyn had this feeling that this wasn't going to be the last she saw of Walker.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Remember to review!!!! 


	5. Moving on

Author's note: Thanks to all reviewers! Sorry I haven't been updating. I had a horrible writer's block that just refused to go away. Even now I am not very sure of how to continue the story. Apologies to all my readers, I'll make this chapter longer to make up for the delay.

* * *

Chapter 5

Danny remained in his cockpit for a few minutes after he landed. A wave of relief washed over him, and he smiled to himself. That hadn't been so hard after all. In fact, it felt good. Up there, images of Evelyn and Rafe had flooded his mind, and for the first time since he left them, he allowed the images to come.

He savored the memories of Rafe flying alongside him back home in Tennessee, where they often took their planes up in the evening and did all sorts of crazy stunts. Rafe's plane had never been far away during training, and missions as well. They had flown together so many times he'd lost count.

And there was Evelyn. Evelyn, who had been so torn with grief by Rafe's "death" in England, weeping into his shoulder. Evelyn, who had been the first person he shared his cockpit with, gazing with happiness and admiration at the sunset of Pearl Harbor. Evelyn, the mother of his child, the wife of his best friend. She had been the first girl he had allowed into his life, and she would always be someone special to him.

It seemed like such a long time ago, when he had taken his plane up in a similar fashion, to make himself face something he didn't want to. That had been when he thought Rafe had died in England, and for many weeks after that, he couldn't bring himself to fly after training, because it reminded him too much of Rafe. After that, he forced himself to fly, and it had made him feel better. When he flew, it was as if Rafe was still there with him.

He felt the same way now. It was as if Evelyn and Rafe were still with him, and he could almost see Rafe's cocky grin, "That's what I call flying." Rafe loved to say that after they pulled off some stunt during or after training. "That's what I call suicide." Danny would answer jokingly.

There were so many memories. It was only now that Danny realized he need not make himself forget everything related to Rafe and Evelyn to get on with his life. He could remember them and still move on. In fact, it made him feel better to think of them, and how happy they must be now to be together. It had been a hard choice, but it was the right one. No need to feel miserable over something he did right.

Thinking about that made Danny feel so much better all of a sudden. Looking at his watch, it was 6.05pm. He was going to get locked in if he didn't get out soon. Hastily, Danny unbuckled himself and headed out of the hangar. Time to get on with his life. First, get something to eat.

Ten minutes later, Danny found himself standing outside the Haluna Pub, staring at the flashing neon sign. The last time he had been here, it made him feel quite uncomfortable with its uncanny resemblance to the pub in Pearl Harbor, and the memories associated with it. This time it would be different. He was here to enjoy a meal, and some Hawaiian decoration theme was not going to deter him from that. With that thought, he strode into the pub.

* * *

"Hey Jeslyn, there's a new customer!"

Jeslyn detected a tinge of teasing in Dania's voice, and frowned slightly. What was Dania up to now? Looking up from the counter, Jeslyn saw an all-too-familiar figure walking in. It was Danny Walker, the mysterious pilot whom she found herself thinking of far too often. And it was her turn to serve. Jeslyn groaned silently as she got up from her seat and went over to where Walker had sat himself down, catching a glance of Dania's teasing smirk as she walked past, and chose to ignore her. Dania could think what she wanted. There was nothing going on between Walker and her. How could they get involved in anyway when they don't even know each other?

Brushing her thoughts away, Jeslyn put on her best waitress smile as she approached him. "Good evening sir, what would you like to have?" She noticed a fleeting flicker of something behind those brown eyes, but it disappeared quickly, replaced by Walker's polite smile. "Any recommendations?"

"The dish of the day is chicken chop with gravy, it's quite popular."

"Alright then, I'll have that, and a glass of water, please."

Jeslyn took down his order, "Please wait a while and we will serve you shortly." Goodness, she sounded so formal. Usually she would have started some kind of a conversation with the customer while waiting to take his order so that the customer feels more at home. But with Walker, she just felt…awkward. It was the first time she couldn't think of anything to talk about, Jeslyn realized. That was why she felt awkward around Walker. She couldn't think of a common topic to talk about. He reminded her too much of Pearl Harbor, and that was something she steered clear from these days. Turning round, she almost fled into the kitchen to deliver his order, too caught up with her own thoughts to notice the look of conflict on Walker's face.

* * *

Watching the waitress disappear into the kitchen, Danny frowned slightly. He thought he imagined her having a Hawaiian accent on his last visit, so he was caught by surprise when he heard her speak again. She was unmistakably Hawaiian. That accent was achingly familiar, telling of a place where he had spent some of the happiest days of his life, a place where his life had been destroyed as well. He had noticed the waitress's slight discomfort when taking his orders, and he knew the expression on her face from experience. He reminded her of something she did not want to remember, and she tried to cover up by acting as if nothing had happened. She was quite good at concealing her feelings too, but Danny could still detect a hint of strain in her voice.

What was it that she was trying to hide? Danny almost laughed at himself when he caught himself with that thought. Here he was trying to hide his past from everyone, and yet he was feeling curious about someone else's past. If there was something she wanted to hide, she had a right to keep her secret, just as he was keeping his. He should leave her alone the way he wanted people to leave him alone.

* * *

After work, Jeslyn and Dania made their way back to their room at Mother J's. Dania noticed her friend's troubled silence, and asked, "Is something bothering you, Jes?" When Jeslyn didn't reply, she guessed what was on her mind. "You are thinking about him again, aren't you?"

Fingering a loose strand of hair, Jeslyn admitted, "I don't know why I keep thinking of him. Maybe it's because I've seen him before."

"Of course you have, this wasn't the first time he came to the pub."

"No, I mean before that." Jeslyn hesitated. She never told Dania much about her past life in Pearl Harbor, and Dania had given up trying to find out after some time, choosing to respect her friend's privacy. If she brought up the topic again, Dania might come up with some questions that she wasn't prepared to answer yet.

As if she read Jeslyn's mind, Dania chose not to comment. Instead, she suggested, "If it bothers you that much, why don't you just go up to him and ask him about it? For all you know, it might help you sort out your feelings somewhat."

Jeslyn gave her friend a grateful look, thanking her silently for not pushing on the topic of Pearl Harbor. Dania's suggestion sounded quite reasonable though, it might help her sort out her feelings if she had a talk with him. "I'll consider it." She promised.

* * *

Ever since he learnt to move on with his life, Danny found that there were many things he could enjoy in his new life. His friends, Ryan, Kyle and the others often visited the Haluna Pub during their free time after training, and recently he had begun to tag along. The noisy environment was surprisingly welcoming, and Danny had grown to love the place.

However, as the weeks went by, Danny started to notice an interesting trend. No matter how tiring the day's training was, Ryan always seemed perked up during their visits to the pub. He never went to the pub on Wednesdays, and after some time Danny understood why. Ryan was friendly with almost everyone, but he appeared to be exceptionally nice to one of the waitresses at the pub, and that waitress was off duty on Wednesdays. His friend was up to something, and it wouldn't take a genius to guess what Ryan had in mind.

Grinning at the thought of Ryan having a crush, Danny got his jacket from his cupboard and left his room. He had nothing much to do at the moment, might as well go for a stroll and enjoy the weather. Closing the door behind him, Danny headed towards his favourite place in Ohio – the beach.

Feeling the warm evening sun on his face, Danny took a deep breath of the fresh air and stretched luxuriously. It was nice to feel…content and at peace with the world. Looking at the serene surroundings, it was almost impossible to imagine that there was a war going on.

Talking about that, Danny frowned slightly, there had been talk of an upcoming mission, but no details had been given yet. What could the mission be this time?

* * *

P.S. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! 


	6. Having to say goodbye again

Author's note: School has started, and exams are just round the corner. That means I may not be able to update anytime soon, so I decided to squeeze out a chapter now. Hope more reviews come in! The review rate hasn't been very encouraging recently…anyway, enjoy this chapter! I have to say though, the mission I described in this chapter is entirely fictional and if it resembled any actual events, it is purely coincidental.

* * *

Chapter 6

A gentle breeze lifted Danny's spirits, and he shook off thoughts of an upcoming mission. He would be informed when the time comes, so why bother about it now? Missions had become part and parcel of life in the last year. He had grown so accustomed to them that it made him grin to think of how excited and nervous he was when he went on his first mission. It was almost as if he was still a small child. Since then, the excitement had worn off, and he only went on missions because it was his duty. It was that sense of duty that drove Rafe to volunteer to fight in England a few years ago. That same sense of duty that made him and Rafe volunteer for the Doolittle Raid a year ago. And now it was perhaps the only thing that kept him going these days.

Alright, maybe it was not the only thing that kept him going. His new friends added a lot of light and laughter to his life since he transferred here a year ago, after he had gone through the Doolittle Raid. And recently, there was a new character in his life, with the name of Jeslyn Hills. In the past few weeks, he often went to the Haluna with Ryan and Kyle, and they had short conversations occasionally. At least the original awkwardness had faded away. He felt drawn to her in a way, perhaps because he was curious about her past. That was what he told himself initially, but as time passed, he realized that he began to look forward to seeing her in the pub, talking to her, watching her bustling around serving food to customers. He had grown to like her smile, her laugh, her voice. Even the way she tied her hair into a bun while she worked. In fact, the way he felt towards her was strangely similar to the way he felt towards Evelyn, just that this time the feeling was more subtle. Maybe he was indeed moving on at last.

"Hey." A soft voice jerked Danny out of his thoughts. He looked up and was startled to find himself staring right into the face he had been thinking of. Jeslyn was standing in front of him, though he had no idea when she got there or how long she had been staring at him drawing circles in the sand with a stick. More than slightly embarrassed, Danny managed a sheepish grin, "Hi…Sorry, I didn't see you. I was…"

"…busy." She finished helpfully for him. Looking at the circles he drew in the sand, she chuckled, "Yeah, I could see that. Is this place occupied?" Smiling, she gestured at the space beside Danny.

"No. You're welcome to join me." Danny shifted to make space for her on the rock. "Do you come here often?" he asked.

"Yes, actually." Jeslyn ran a hand through her hair. It was the first time Danny saw her with her hair let down, and he thought she looked beautiful. The sun caught in her auburn hair, making it shine. "This place is lovely! I often come down here for a walk." Hesitating, she added, "I used to live beside the sea."

"You're Hawaiian, aren't you?" Danny finally voiced the question that he had in his mind ever since he identified her accent. Startled, she looked at him. "How did you know? Did Dania tell you?"

Shaking his head, Danny said, "I could tell by your accent. I've been to Hawaii before, stayed there for quite a period of time, in fact."

"Where did you stay?"

A short pause. "I was…stationed at Pearl Harbor for a period of time." Danny looked at her. "How about you? Where did you stay?"

_So he was from Pearl Harbor._"I lived in Pearl Harbor too." It felt oddly comfortable somehow, to tell Danny about her past, something which she had never told anyone else before. It made it easier for her, knowing that he was from the same place as her, and that he had gone through the same experiences. "I think we have met before."

"We did?"

"Yeah, I worked in the pub at Pearl Harbor." Looking away, she picked up a pebble and threw it back into the swirling foam lapping at the sand. "My family used to live in Pearl Harbor, until that day." She paused, feelings of loss welling up inside her again.

_I know how she feels. _Trying to lighten the mood, Danny spoke up. "Have you ever watched the sunset in Pearl Harbor? It's a beautiful sight. I took my plane up to watch it a couple of times, it helped me a lot when I needed to sort things out."

"I once watched a plane making all sorts of crazy loops and turns." Jeslyn smiled at the memory. "I thought the pilot must have been mad."

"….Was it late in the evening? The plane was alone?" Danny was really caught off guard this time. She had watched him fly? As far as he knew, no one else flew alone except for him, when he took his plane up in the last few hours of training to spend some time by himself.

"Yeah." Looking at his surprised expression, she laughed. "It was you?"

"I wasn't mad. It was just that I needed some time alone to think some things through." Danny looked at her. "I didn't know we had so much in common."

Jeslyn smiled. "Actually, I kind of suspected that you were from Pearl Harbor." Ignoring his skeptical look, she continued, "I always prided myself for having a good memory. You are the only one I've met so far who consistently orders plain water in a pub instead of wine."

"It's a…habit of mine."

And so Jeslyn and Danny spent a long time just sitting there and talking to each other. During those few hours of talking, they got to know more about each other than they did during those long weeks of silently observing and making guesses about each other. Jeslyn was more warm and fun-loving than Danny thought, and this made him want to get to know her better. It had been a long time since he felt that way. He kind of missed that feeling.

Gathering up his courage, Danny asked Jeslyn if she was free the coming Friday. Inclining her head slightly, she thought for a while and nodded.

* * *

The following weeks passed quickly for Danny. His new found friendship with Jeslyn blossomed quickly, and he found himself looking forward to seeing her everyday. Their similar experiences in the past made it easy for them to confide in each other, and Danny found himself telling her everything that he had withheld within himself for the past year, about Evelyn, Rafe, his friends Red, Gooz and the son he had never met. Jeslyn had listened patiently, and though she didn't say anything, he found great comfort in her presence alone.

There was something that bothered him though. He had confided in her, but Jeslyn still withheld her past from him. Every time they ventured close to the topic, she would find a way to change the topic. That talk on the beach was the first and last time she had opened up to him. It hurt him to see her being haunted by the past. Perhaps she wasn't really to tell him yet. He would wait until she was ready. They still had a lot of time anyway.

Or so he thought.

Six months after Danny and Jeslyn started going out, he was summoned to the general's office. Danny was to go on a mission that would last for six to twelve months. Another bombing mission, nothing really special, just that he would need to get used to the new bomber models. However, nothing was that simple in war, and Danny was fully aware of the possible risks involved every time he took his plane up for a mission. For all he knew, this mission, straightforward though it was, could be his last one.

In the past year he hadn't really cared. After all, he was just one man, and he need not answer to anyone but himself. But now, things are different. He had Jeslyn to think about. There was no point hiding how much she meant to him. However, though he had made his feelings clear to her, she had yet to give him a proper reply. And now he had to leave. Who knows how things might turn out by the time he came back? Danny refused to think of the other scenario, of what would happen if he _didn't _come back.

* * *

He asked Jeslyn out that afternoon. After treating her to lunch, the two of them walked down the beach together. Jeslyn noticed the slight tension in Danny's features. He had that look again. Every time he looked like that, she knew something was bothering him. Pretending to admire the scenery, she chose to stay silent until he was ready to tell her about it.

After a long silence, Jeslyn glanced at Danny again. Tentatively, she reached over and slipped her hand in his. She almost laughed at Danny's startled expression, but stopped herself in time. "Are those trees that interesting? You've been staring at them since goodness knows when." Giving his hand a squeeze, she asked in a softer tone, "Care to tell me what's bothering you?"

Somehow, she always knew when something was on his mind, though Danny never figured out why. Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, he smiled. "It's ok. I'll let you know next time." Changing the subject, Danny started talking about something that happened to him during his childhood, and Jeslyn let the topic drop. He'll let her know when he is ready. However, when Danny bade her goodbye, there was something in his tone and the way he hugged her that made her feel somewhat uneasy, as if this was going to be the last time she would see him in a long while…

* * *

Unable to get rid of her sense of uneasiness, Jeslyn got out of bed early the next morning, planning on going to look for Danny at the air base. However, when she opened the door, she came face to face with a surprised Dania, holding a letter in her hand.

"Wow, you sure got up early today. I thought you would still be sleeping. " Looking at her friend's face, she guessed the reason. "You wanted to go see somebody?" Pressing the letter into Jeslyn's hands, she shook her head. "Mother J passed this to me when I was on my way out. She said Danny asked her to pass it to you."

"Thanks Dania." Jeslyn hurriedly opened the letter and read.

_Dear Jeslyn,_

_Good morning! Sorry, this wasn't the most fantastic way of saying goodbye, but I couldn't bring myself to tell you personally. I didn't want to say goodbye to you, but I had no choice. You asked me what was bothering me yesterday, and this is what I'm going to tell you about now._

_I have to go on a mission,__ and it could be a year before I get back. I leave today actually, so it will be quite a long while until we meet again. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you this yesterday. I've my own reasons for this. _

_A few years ago, my old friend Rafe faced the same problem I face now. He volunteered to fight in England when America hadn't gotten involved in the war, and to make Evelyn, his girlfriend, feel less worried, he promised her that he would come back safely. But news got back several months later that he had died in a battle, and I was there to witness the despair and grief that Evelyn went through. I went through the same feelings myself. Though he came back safely afterwards, this showed me how heavily both me and Evelyn had depended on his promise, and the grief and hurt we experienced when faced with news of his "death" was magnified because of his promise. Losing him would have hurt, but it hurt even more when he made a promise like that, and didn't keep it. _

_I am aware of the risks involved in war, and I do not want to cause you the same pain that I experienced, which is why I decided to tell you through this letter instead. Because I know that I will feel compelled to make similar commitments to you if I said goodbye to you face to face. All I can promise you is that I will take care of myself, and I hope you will too, in this period of my absence. _

_You are someone special to me, Jeslyn, and I'm sure you know that as well. But I don't really know what you think of me. Am I just a friend to you? Or can I be someone special too? This means a lot to me, and I hope you can give me an answer when I get back. _

_Take care. _

_Love, _

_Danny Walker_

* * *

How was this chapter? I made it extra long to make up for the long gap that is to come. Up to the moment I have been focusing more on Danny's relationship with Jeslyn, and the following chapters should come with more action involved.  Do review and tell me what you think! 


	7. Old friends meet, and part

Author's note: Special thanks to Sachita for reviewing! It is great to have another review after such a long time. Sorry I haven't been updating for quite some time, school has been rather busy lately, and will be even busier in the coming weeks, with examinations and everything. The mission and training exercises in this story are purely fictional, and I did not base them on any real events. Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental.

Thanks for reading my story! I'll try to update soon, and include more action from this chapter onwards…meanwhile, do review!

* * *

Chapter 7

The hand holding the letter trembled slightly, then clenched the paper into a tight fist. Her green eyes flashed, and stuffing the letter into her pocket, Jeslyn ran out of her room. No one was going to get rid of her that easily.

* * *

Checking through his bag for one last time, just in case he forgot something, Danny checked his watch habitually. 9.30am. It had been one and a half hours since he dropped by Mother J's place to give Jeslyn the letter. And the plane was due to fly in half an hour's time. Unable to help himself, Danny stole a glance at the entrance gates of the air field, almost hoping to see a certain auburn-haired figure walking through those gates. But the gates were empty. Danny felt oddly disappointed, but he tried to shrug off the feeling. He had only given her the letter that morning, after all, and who knows if she had even seen it? The Jeslyn he knew was not an early riser. She was probably still asleep at this hour, especially since she did not need to work today. So what was he doing hoping that she would come and see him off?

As he watched, an air field attendant walked up to the gates and dragged them close. It was long past the "visiting hours" anyway, and the small group of friends which had gathered to see him off had left for quite some time already. Turning his back on the gates, he picked up his bag and started walking towards the plane. It was about time to board.

Just then, he heard a familiar voice yelling his name. Surprised, Danny spun around, and nearly dropped his bag. Jeslyn was holding the bars of the gate, waving frantically to him. Putting his bag down on the floor, Danny ran over to the gates. By the time he got there, Jeslyn still hadn't caught her breath, and was trying to glare at him while panting at the same time.

"I didn't expect to see you here." Danny said softly, unable to hide his surprise and happiness at seeing her. She rushed all the way here to see him off!

"How…dare you try…and leave just like that…" Jeslyn took a deep breath, and tried to speak normally. "I've told you before, writing…letters is NOT a good way to…say goodbye."

"I know." Danny couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for coming, all the same." The whirring of the plane's engines sounded from behind him. There wasn't much time left.

Looking at him, Jeslyn was at a sudden loss for words. On her way here, she had prepared a long list of what she wanted to say to him, but there wasn't enough time. She realized that she did not want to see him leave. Once he left, who knows if she would ever see him again? At that thought, tears sprang to her eyes, and grudgingly refused to leave.

Danny seemed to understand, and he put a hand through the bars of the gate and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks. Leaning his forehead against hers through the bars of the gate, he whispered, "Take care of yourself, I have to go."

Taking hold of his hand, she gave it a tight squeeze. "I'll be here waiting for you when you come back."

Nodding slightly, Danny gave her an encouraging smile, and reluctantly let go of her hand. Giving her a wave, he turned around, picked up his bag and walked towards the plane with a new purpose in his stride. Any questions he had initially regarding her feelings for him had all been answered by what he had seen in her eyes. For Jeslyn's sake, he would try his best to get back in one piece.

A voice whispered in his mind, _I'll be here waiting for you when you come back_. Come to think about it, Evelyn had said that to him when he left for the Doolittle Raid. Those exact same words.

From the gates, Jeslyn watched as the plane took off. Despite knowing that Danny cannot see her, she waved anyway. The only thing she could do now was to pray for his return, and she hoped that would be soon.

* * *

The plane had landed on Long Island, and Danny surveyed the room he had been assigned to. The room looked just like the one he shared with Rafe a few years back, when they trained together on Long Island. Back when the war had not started, everything was so simple. How he missed those times.

Putting down his bag, Danny headed towards the quadrangle, where the other pilots assigned on the mission had started to assemble. The general was supposed to meet them there to give them more details and instructions. When he got there, Danny looked around for familiar faces, but didn't manage to find any. Until his eyes fell on a small group of pilots in a corner of the quadrangle, engaged in deep conversation. He didn't know most of the other pilots in that group, but there was one familiar figure which he had not expected to see again. There, talking and laughing with his friends, was Rafe McCawley.

Danny was stunned, and unsure of what to do. This was definitely unexpected. He thought he had lost contact with Rafe and would never see him again, but here they were, assigned to the same mission. Still blinking with surprise, Danny hurriedly got back in line as the general approached. It seemed that Rafe had not noticed him, yet. What would he say if Rafe saw him?

Feeling a pang of regret as he remembered the past he shared with Rafe, Danny realized that for the first time in his life, he did not know what to say if he met with his best friend. There used to be nothing they couldn't talk about, but now there was so much between them…Looking up as the group of pilots approached and positioned themselves at the end of the line, Danny saw Rafe's head move slightly, as if he was looking for someone.

* * *

Danny turned his head away so as not to let Rafe recognize him, so he did not see the slight flicker of disappointment that flashed by in Rafe's eyes when he did not manage to locate a certain face he had been looking for in all his missions for more than a year. Whenever he went on a mission, he always harbored some hope that he would meet Danny on one of them, but he never did. His friend seemed to have vanished totally, and Rafe missed him a lot. There was so much he wanted to tell him. About Evelyn, about the child, whom they had named Danny Walker Jr, after his father. Disappointed, Rafe took his place in the line, and the general began his briefing.

* * *

The training lasted for eight months. By luck, Danny never met Rafe along the corridors, and there were so many pilots assigned to the same mission, it appeared that they would not meet each other at all. The pilots were divided into small training groups of about twenty people, five to each plane, and Danny soon became friends with his new group members.

One of the training exercises the pilots were engaged in included them flying their planes and working in pairs with another plane from a different group, so that they got used to working with other pilots on the mission. Rafe's plane was scheduled for training that evening. Buckling his seat belt, he signaled for Red, his co-pilot, to open communications with the other plane which they were supposed to train with.

"This is Blue 1. We are ready and good to go."

"Roger that. Red 7 here. We'll follow your lead." The voice sounded familiar though it was distorted over the radio, and Rafe couldn't quite remember where he had heard that voice before. Maybe it was someone he had worked with on his earlier missions. He had met so many people that he had almost lost count, so it could be anyone on the other side of the line. For a moment, Rafe hoped that it was Danny, but almost immediately, he rejected the thought. Danny was not on this mission. Rafe was sure he would have seen him if he was.

Shaking off his suspicions, Rafe guided his plane onto the runway. Red 7 followed suit, and the training exercise began. The two planes dived, rolled and worked together to hit all the targets. Watching the ease with which the other pilot followed his plane's movements, Rafe couldn't help but admire his skill. He was almost as good as Danny had been, if not equal. The way they flew, it was almost as if Danny was flying with him again.

When all the targets had been hit, both planes turned around and headed back to base.

"Great flying, Red 7." Rafe said over the radio. "We look forward to working together again in future." Judging from the skill, Rafe wouldn't mind if this guy was going to be his partner during the mission.

There was a slight pause on the other line. "Same here, Blue 1. It was a great training." The pilot dipped his wings slightly as a salute, then executed a smooth landing on the runway, turning into the Red Hangar.

* * *

Slowly unbuckling his seat belt, Danny let his fellow pilots get out of the plane first. That voice sounded so familiar. Climbing out of the plane, he looked at the Blue Hangar, and saw Rafe coming out of the hangar. It had been Rafe flying Blue 1.

Unknowingly, the two best friends had just trained together again after two years apart.

* * *

P.S. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Examinations are coming, so I'm not going to be able to update for quite some time. Meanwhile, do read and review! 


	8. Just like old times

Author's note: Whew! Finally got over the examinations…sorry I haven't had time to update lately…thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed my story, Alyssa.  I think this is going to be quite a short chapter…" I can practically feel a writer's block coming up, I can't really think of what to write. Ack.

* * *

Chapter 8

After the months of training, it was finally time to execute the mission. Actually the instructions of the mission were simple: fly in, drop the bombs on their targets, and leave. But Danny knew better. The missions were never as simple as they seemed when they were planned out on paper. Somehow, complications always crept up along the way. Especially during the mission, it is always hard to determine the strategy the enemy would be using, or if they would be able to catch them by surprise. It was getting harder and harder to catch the Japanese Army on surprise these days, considering the way had been going on for more than a year now, and such bombing raids are quite common, so Danny was prepared to face strong resistance when he went in on the mission.

Packing his bag with only the bare necessities like some food and water, Danny went out to get his plane ready. They were leaving in an hour's time. His crew was already there, and he quickly climbed in to do some last minute checks. After that was done, the only thing he could do was wait for the order to come for them to leave.

Leaning back into his seat, Danny's mind drifted, and he tuned out his crew members' conversations in the background. Since the Doolittle Raid, he hadn't went on the same mission as Rafe again. He felt a slight pang as he thought of how Rafe was always there to watch out for him. Not that he could do that this time, considering Rafe wasn't even aware that he was on the mission. Even though he had trained with Rafe again for a few more times after their first training together, he hadn't been ready to face Rafe yet. How was he going to explain his disappearance a year ago to his friend? He couldn't possibly say "Sorry, I wanted you to go back to Evelyn so I figured it would be best if I left." That sounded like a weak excuse even to him, and there was no way Rafe was going to accept that.

Just then, the general's voice came over the radio. "Army pilots, start up your engines, we are ready to go." Turning his attention back to the mission on hand, Danny started up the engines.

* * *

The first part of the mission went smoothly, and the bombers managed to hit their targets. Just when Rafe thought they were going to be able to leave without getting hit, he heard the all too familiar sounds of bullets flying by, barely missing his plane by inches. In an instant, the radio was flooded with curses and yells from his fellow pilots. They were being attacked by enemy planes!

Rafe was caught by surprise. He hadn't expected resistance from the air. In previous missions, most of the resistance had came from firepower on the ground. How on earth had they been able to get their planes ready in such a short time? Recovering from his initial shock, Rafe banked his plane hard to the left to avoid another attack from a Japanese plane. "Guys, strap in. We are in for some tight fighting."

The planes which came after them were good. They were real fast fliers, and the pilots had commendable skill as well. Swopping in between the bombers, the planes pulled off a couple of shots before turning away, and the bombers could hardly get in a shot or two of their own. Danny gritted his teeth as he swerved hard to try and avoid the shots aimed at him by one of the planes, but some of the bullets still hit his bomber. He could feel the impact of the hits, and he responded by trying to coax more speed out of his bomber. He could feel the engines shudder as they tried to push the bomber faster ahead, but it was still no match for the smaller and faster planes.

The bombers Danny and his fellow pilots were flying were designed more for their capacity rather than speed, and it was all Danny could do to keep his plane away from the attacks which kept coming. Urging his bomber higher, Danny managed to get clear for a short period of time. Just then, he saw two enemy planes hard on the tail of one of the bombers. It was a bomber he had come to recognize through the many training sessions they had went through.

Going to his rescue, Danny came in from behind, and fired at the planes, destroying them before they could do anymore damage to Rafe's bomber. "That was a close one, Red 1".

Rafe recognized that voice. Smiling, he acknowledged, "Thanks a lot, Blue 7. I was having a bit of trouble there." Before he had the chance to say any more, both of them were swept up in the crossfire again, and had to put all their attention on getting away from the planes.

Another plane came at Danny, and in his effort to get clear of the attack, he lost sight of Rafe's bomber. The flying was tough, and Danny had to rely on his instincts most of the time to minimize damage to his bomber. Their orders were to get away, and not to get engaged as far as possible. If they were held back for too long, the ships which were arranged to meet them would be forced to return to America without them. For every minute delayed, it would increase the chances of the ships getting discovered, and the alarm would be raised, in which case escape would not be an option at all.

They had almost gotten clear, and there were only a few planes still on their tails. Soon, they would be leaving the skies of Japan. Just as he turned his bomber around to avoid another attack, Danny caught sight of Rafe again, and he could see that Rafe was in trouble again. He was too busy dealing with the planes in front of him, and Danny watched with growing horror as an enemy plane came at Rafe from the back. Instinctively, he shouted, "Watch out, Rafe! To your right, now!"

Caught by surprise, Rafe turned hard to his right automatically, and the planes didn't had time to react before they crashed into each other. That was a very close one, indeed. The bombers were over the blue waters of the sea now. The mission had been completed successfully.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Rafe cheered along with the rest of his crew. They had made it through another mission! If not for the help of Blue 7, he would not have made it. As he prepared to send a radio signal to thank the pilot of Blue 7, it suddenly hit him. The pilot had called him by his name. He didn't recall having introduced himself to him, so how would he know his name? Unless…unable to control himself, he asked, "You're Danny, aren't you?" _Please, don't let me be disappointed again. _

There was silence on the other line. Rafe didn't give up. He waited. Danny couldn't stand it if silence went on for too long, and he was sure to say something. If it was Danny, that is. Rafe could hardly think of what he would do if it wasn't. It would be so embarrassing.

There was another pause. Rafe could almost hear someone taking a deep breath on the other line. Then came the response he had waited for for so long. "Sorry I didn't say hi earlier, Rafe."

In a way, Danny was relieved that Rafe finally recognized him. Throughout the mission, he had not been able to gather enough courage to approach Rafe, but now he could talk to Rafe for as long as he wanted once they got back. There were so many things he wanted to ask Rafe about, and Rafe probably had a lot to ask him as well.

So it was Danny! Rafe could barely believe his ears. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" And to think that he had been wondering about what had happened to Danny all this while. He should have noticed long ago. The pilot of Blue 7 seemed too familiar with his flying style, and he was able to cooperate with him very well during the exercises. He should have suspected long ago.

Danny chuckled softly. "Hey, we are not supposed to clog up the comm channels with trivial talk like this. Later, I'll explain." Rafe sounded really happy. It seemed like all his worries were unfounded, his friend was not angry at him at all. However, that wasn't going to make explaining any easier.

* * *

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review! 


	9. More missions

Author's note: Thanks for reviewing, Sachita!

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Chapter 9

Back in Ohio, Jeslyn absent-mindedly cleaned the wine glasses as she stared out of the window at the sea beyond. Eight months. It had been eight months since she last saw Danny, and she couldn't stop thinking about him since she said goodbye. The moment the plane took off, she had begun to miss him already. Was he safe? When was he coming back?

Since Danny left, the other pilots he hung out with didn't come to the pub that often any more. It seemed that the main reason they came to the pub was to drag Danny along and see if they could get him drunk. They knew that Danny didn't drink, which made them all the more determined to break his record. Jeslyn smiled slightly and shook her head. It was hard to imagine those pilots ever being serious.

"Day-dreaming again?" Ryan Taylor grinned at her startled expression. Jeslyn shot him a look of mock indignation, "One day, if I get a heart attack, it would be your fault."

Shrugging innocently, he asked, "Is Dania around?" During these few months, there had been something going on between Ryan and Dania, and Jeslyn was pleased to see the change in her friend as the time passed. Dania became a lot more cheerful and active than she was before, and Jeslyn was happy for her. Ryan had been popping into the pub more frequently, and his requests to see Dania had become some sort of a routine for Jeslyn. Pointing to the kitchen, she said, "She's in the back."

It was only then that his tone registered in her mind. He had sounded…serious, more serious than she had ever heard him sound. Looking up at Ryan's face, she noticed something was wrong. Though he took care to keep his usual smile on his face, there was a strained quality to it. Reaching out, she gave his arm a little squeeze, "Something's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong." He hurriedly turned his face away. Jeslyn waited, and finally he said, "Its my turn. The letter just reached me today."

"What do you mean your turn?"

Just then, Dania came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her gaze fell on Ryan, and a smile broke out on her face. She went over to him and said brightly, "My application for leave has been approved! I am officially on leave for the whole of next week, so we can finally have the holiday we wanted for so long."

"That's…great." Ryan stood up, and took her hand. "Dania, there's something I have to tell you." Giving Jeslyn a slight nod, he led a puzzled Dania out of the pub.

Danny had the same look on his face when he came to tell her eight months ago that he was leaving on a mission. And then, Jeslyn knew. Ryan is going away as well.

* * *

"I heard we won't be going back that soon." Danny said to Rafe. The two friends were sitting on their bunks, staring at the ceiling as the ship took them back to America. Though they had only just landed, it felt like a few hours had passed already.

"Yeah, I know. Can't do anything about that, can we?" Rafe sighed. He had been looking forward to seeing Evelyn again soon, but that will have to be postponed. Turning over to face Danny on the next bunk, he asked, "What have you been doing for the past year?"

"Avoiding you."

Rafe grunted. "That much I know."

Danny gave him a guilty grin. "Sorry, I didn't know how I was going to face you after…after all that." Rafe didn't say anything, so Danny went on. "I applied for a transfer to the base in Ohio, and then there were the occasional missions. Nothing more exciting than that."

"Why did you leave like that? It was so abrupt…you didn't even say goodbye." All the bitterness he felt when he heard that his best friend had apparently abandoned him resurfaced again.

"I did, Rafe."

Rafe snorted. Fixing Danny with a hard stare, he said, "Don't you ever do that again."

Then, Danny finally voiced the question he had wanted to ask for so long. His voice sounded hesitant. "How's Evelyn?"

"She's doing fine. Every time I come back from a mission, she would ask if I had seen you." Sighing, Rafe continued, "The only problem we had was how to explain to Danny whenever he asked about his father."

"Danny?" Danny was confused. When had he ever asked Rafe about his father? And he wasn't even there in the first place…oh.

The look on Danny's face made Rafe laugh. "Yes, Danny. We named him after you. And he does look a great deal like you too, when you were that age." Reaching over, he tousled Danny's hair in a familiar gesture, "We are thinking of introducing him to his father at our wedding, you know. Just that we didn't know where you were, so we couldn't send out the invitation."

"Invitation? You mean, you haven't had your wedding yet?"

"Of course not." Came the quiet reply. "I am waiting for my best man."

Danny was starting to look guilty all over again.

"I really want you to be my best man, Danny. We have known each other since practically forever." He gave Danny's arm a tight squeeze. "Actually, I know that the reason you left was because you didn't want Evelyn to feel obliged to you just because she is pregnant. But it has been a year, Danny. It's time to move on."

"I know." Danny smiled. "I have moved on." _Her name is Jeslyn Hills. _"Maybe I will show you to her when we get back."

"Glad to hear that, buddy. Evelyn will be so glad to hear that." Rafe grinned back. "I hope we get back soon though. Your son is getting impatient."

Nodding wistfully, Danny leaned back and rested his head on his hands. His son. He wanted to meet him too.

When they get back. Danny promised himself.

However, something told him that they won't be getting back that soon.

And he was right.

Some of the pilots were picked out by the general to continue training for another sort of mission. And because of their skill at flying, both Danny and Rafe were among the list. This time, they were not trained to fly a new type of bomber, but to pick up people from the ground. An upcoming mission required the pilots involved to land in China, and it was possible that they could be intercepted by Japanese forces occupying those parts of China. The American Army wanted to retrieve the pilots as quickly as possible, and any engagement with Japanese forces should be avoided to prevent unnecessary casualties.

Ah, casualties. Sometimes Danny wondered if that was how the army viewed the lives sacrificed in the war. Just another name on the list, another number on their charts.

Talking about missions, Ryan and Kyle had written a few weeks ago to tell him that they were going for another mission. Suddenly, Danny felt uneasy. For all he knew, his friends could be among those depending on him to save them.

If only the war would be over soon. He was getting tired of it already.

* * *

P.S. Do remember to review! Thanks a lot. 


	10. Going home

Author's note: Been trying to brush up on my language skills during the holidays, heheh, but haven't really been succeeding so far. I know this chapter is late…hope you will enjoy it all the same. :)

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Chapter 10

"Mummy, when is Daddy going to come back?" A small hand tugged at a corner of her apron, and Evelyn Johnson looked down into the innocent eyes of her son. He had the same soft brown eyes as his father, Evelyn thought wistfully. She really hoped she would get to see him again someday.

Since Danny Walker Jr. was born, she had shared with him the few photos she had of his father, just to make sure that he knew who his father was. Rafe had agreed to this, and Evelyn loved him all the more for his understanding. Danny Walker Jr had been asking for his father ever since he learnt to talk, and he was almost two years old now.

Bending down, she smiled at her son. "Your Uncle Rafe has gone off to look for him, honey, and I'm sure Daddy will come back this time."

"You said that the last time too."

Evelyn gathered him in her arms and hugged him. Danny buried his head in her shoulder. "I want Daddy to come back."

Patting him on the back, Evelyn sighed. "I know, honey." So do I.

Danny had left so that he would not intrude on their lives anymore, but both Rafe and Evelyn knew that he would always have a part in it. In fact, they wanted him to be a part of their lives, but Danny was the only one who couldn't see that. He thought they would want him to leave, for goodness sake.

The last letter Rafe sent told her that he had completed the training, and would be carrying out the mission shortly. There had been no mention of Danny. She hoped Rafe would be able to find him someday.

A small hopeful voice piped up. "When is Uncle Rafe coming back?"

* * *

"Any more questions? Alright, come on boys, let's go. " With a clap, the general dismissed the pilots from the briefing room. The planes were due to take off within half an hour.

Danny and Rafe walked up to where their planes were parked. Holding up his hand, Rafe said, "Land of the Free."

Danny grinned, and gave him a high five. "Home of the Brave."

"Compared with what we have been doing so far, this shouldn't be too hard." Rafe commented.

"Just pick up the guys and we will be off home." Danny shrugged. "Sure, shouldn't be too hard."

"Still, be careful, alright?"

"I will."

Soon, the noisy whirring of engines filled the air and two planes took off.

The general had explained the need to keep the number of planes on the mission small, because they needed to be as inconspicuous as possible to prevent being discovered by the Japanese. Each plane was only manned by a skeleton crew of four people, to make more space for the ten pilots they would have to evacuate. If they were discovered…Danny tried not to think of what would happen. He was thankful that he had Rafe by his side. With the two of them, they could get out of almost anything. Almost. Well, he always liked a challenge.

After fifteen minutes, Danny glanced at the receiver, and started worrying. The pilots they were supposed to evacuate were flying planes fixed with signal transmitters, but no signal has been received so far, and China was getting nearer.

Another five minutes passed. Still no signal…

Finally! Danny breathed a sigh of relief as the receiver blinked green. For a second, he almost thought none of those ten pilots had made it.

"Got that, Danny?" Rafe's voice came over the radio.

"Yeah, I got it, Rafe."

"Seems like they are down by the beach."

"Just like old times." Danny said wryly. During the Doolittle Raid, both he and Rafe had encountered Japanese soldiers when they had to land in China, and it had been by the beach as well.

The two planes landed at the Chinese air base there, and the pilots got off. They gathered for a last minute discussion.

"Anyone still unclear of the objectives of the mission?" Rafe asked, and everyone shook their heads. "Great. The eight of us moving around in a group might draw attention, and if the Japanese catch us, we're dead, so we scatter, ok? Move around in pairs, and cover for each other. Get those boys, and we'll be out of here. Alright then, we move out."

As they moved off in pairs, Danny smiled. "Let's go get them, Rafe."

"You mean those pilots, or the Japanese?"

Danny groaned. "I was kind of hoping we won't meet up with the Japanese."

* * *

As they neared the beach, Rafe elbowed Danny, and whispered urgently, "Is it just me, or is there a Japanese patrol right up ahead?"

Danny had been looking around for signs of Japanese soldiers at the sides, and when he looked up, sure enough, there was a Japanese patrol a few metres ahead of them. There were about ten soldiers in that patrol, and Danny gritted his teeth. Eight against ten. Not very good odds, but thankfully, they had surprise on their side. The Japanese patrol had their backs to them, and Danny intended to keep it that way.

The other pairs had seen the patrol as well and had gotten their guns ready. Rafe gave the signal, and they all moved forward silently. Counting silently under his breath, Danny aimed and fired when he got to three. Seven other gunshots rang out, and five of the Japanese soldiers fell. It was quite an achievement, considering they did not have any communication between them to synchronize their attack.

The remaining Japanese soldiers panicked, and a few of them managed to fire some shots before they were shot down. The pilots reloaded their guns and moved off at a faster speed. Someone was bound to have heard those gunshots, and another patrol would soon be on the way. They did not have much time left.

Some distance ahead, close to the beach, they saw the remains of a plane, but several shots rang out before they could get any nearer, and the pilots had to dive for cover.

"Hold your fire! We are Americans!" Rafe yelled. The firing stopped, and someone peered cautiously from behind the plane. Seeing that the newcomers were indeed Americans, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you are here. I almost thought you people had forgotten about us."

Danny stared. "Kyle?"

Surprised, Kyle Delt looked at Danny. "Hey, didn't know you were coming." Then his voice became more serious. "A few of us are injured though, we need to get them out of here as soon as possible."

Nodding, Danny followed as the other pilots went around the plane. There were only five people there, counting Kyle. Before he could ask, Kyle pointed ahead. "The other one went down over there."

"We'll take that one." Rafe said. "See you back at the Chinese base." Giving them a wave, he moved off with his crew.

* * *

There were two injured pilots, and Danny and his crew managed to get them back to the base without encountering any Japanese soldiers along the way. Just as Danny was getting worried, Rafe's group got back to the base as well. The pilot Rafe was supporting seemed to be in a pretty bad shape. Most of his face was covered in blood, and he was leaning heavily on Rafe. It gave Danny quite a shock when he recognized the pilot as Ryan Taylor. He hurried up to help Rafe get him into the plane. "Ryan, what happened to you?"

Ryan's eyes focused on Danny, and he forced a grin. "Just…sort of…twisted my ankle." Danny looked at his leg. It looked more broken than twisted.

Danny gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry, we'll be back home soon." Ryan smiled, "Wake me up when we get back, ok?"

Worried, Danny nodded. He got back onto his plane and started the engines. "Don't worry, Danny, we'll get them back." Rafe radioed him.

Danny managed a smile. "Sure, we will go home together."

The two planes took off. "I'll take that as a promise."

"Huh? What?"

"As soon as this mission ends, you are coming home with me." Rafe grinned. "We'll go back to Tennessee."

"But…There's still a war going on, we can't just leave like that!"

"Oh, we can apply for a longer leave." Rafe grinned even harder. "Come on, Danny. You've got to meet your son, and I want to get married."

"You mean, they are in Tennessee?"

"They will be."

"Oh." Danny paused. "Alright then."

"Ha! You said it, no denying when we get back."

"Oh shut up Rafe. The mission isn't even over yet."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 


	11. A promise's a promise

Author's note: Hi! I'm back with another chapter. Think the next one is going to be the last chapter. Can't think of much more to write, and anyway, the plot has been dragging on for long enough. ;)

* * *

Chapter 11

Ryan and the other injured pilots were sent to hospital immediately when they got back, but the doctor assured them that they would be discharged soon. Ryan had to stay for a longer time than the rest, and Danny agreed to stay and keep him company. This meant that Rafe would be returning to Pearl Harbor first.

The weather was lovely on the day of Rafe's departure, and the sky was clear. Danny accompanied Rafe to the air base, helping to carry one of Rafe's bags. It was almost like that day he saw Rafe off at the train station, and judging from the mildly nostalgic expression on Rafe's face, he was thinking of the same thing as well. Back then, America had not been involved in the war yet. What wouldn't Danny give to have the innocence of that period back, but he knew he had lost it forever.

Before he boarded the plane, Rafe gave Danny a stern look. "No more running off this time, buddy, otherwise you are dead meat."

"Come on Rafe," Danny laughed, clapping him on the back. "A promise is a promise."

Rafe smiled and gave his best friend a hug. "See you when you are back, then."

"I'll be dropping by the Ohio base first, though. There are some matters that I have to settle back there." Danny smiled at the thought of seeing Jeslyn again. He missed her so much, and there were so many things he wanted to tell her.

"If you can, bring her along too." Rafe winked. "Evelyn would love to make another friend."

Nodding, Danny handed Rafe's bag over and gave him a small push towards the plane. "You are going to miss the plane."

"The plane will wait."

"No plane in the world will ever wait for you, Rafe. Get moving."

Ignoring Rafe's protests and his mock look of hurt, Danny steered him into the plane and shut the door firmly. Then he stepped back and waved as the plane turned onto the runway and took off. Evelyn. He was going to see her again. And his son. Suddenly, he was going to meet the family he had missed for so long. He couldn't wait to tell Jeslyn about this sudden change in plans.

* * *

Evelyn was there waiting for him when the plane landed. Danny Walker Jr. fidgeted in his mother's arms, craning his neck to look for the familiar figure of Uncle Rafe. "Mummy, you think Daddy came back too?" He asked for the tenth time since he came to the air base.

Evelyn held her son closer. "I honestly don't know, honey, but I hope he did."

Both mother and son held their breaths as people alighted from the plane. Evelyn's spirits rose as she saw Rafe emerging from the door, but she was slightly disappointed when it was a stranger who came out of the plane after Rafe. Danny had not come back this time. Still, it was good enough that Rafe made it back from the mission safely. She can always hope for better news next time.

As Rafe made his way towards her, Danny freed himself from her arms and ran towards him, calling out happily, "Uncle Rafe!" Everytime Uncle Rafe came back from his missions, he would have loads of exciting stories to tell him, and Danny was eager to hear more about the adventures that Uncle Rafe had had.

Rafe laughed and gathered the two year old version of his best friend in his arms. "Hey, little Danny. You know what? I've got a present for you this time."

Danny's eyes widened. "Really? Wow." With sparkling eyes, he started searching Rafe's pockets, and when his efforts proved futile, his face fell, and he looked accusingly at Rafe. "I don't see any presents."

"Three guesses."

Danny's eyes shone again. He loved guessing games. "A model aeroplane?"

"Nope. There wasn't much time to go shopping." Rafe pecked him lovingly on the cheek. "Try again." His smile widened as Evelyn came up to him, and he hugged her. "It's great to be back, Ev. I missed you."

"I missed you too." Evelyn smiled back.

"Mummy, Uncle Rafe says he has got me a present!"

"Actually, it is a present for your mother as well." Rafe said. Danny gave him a puzzled look. "You mean you got two presents?" Rafe shook his head. Evelyn was surprised as well. "What is it, Rafe?" What kind of present could he give when he had been off on a mission?

"Danny's got to guess it first." Rafe's eyes twinkled playfully.

"Ah, I know!" Danny exclaimed. "You're going to take Mummy and me up flying, aren't you?"

"That wasn't what I had in mind, but it can be arranged." Rafe smiled. Danny had definitely inherited the love for flying from his father.

"No?" Danny looked crestfallen. Usually he would have gotten the correct answer by the second guess. Then he seemed to think of something, and his face brightened. "Its Daddy, isn't it? Daddy's my present!" Without waiting for Rafe's confirmation, he squirmed about in his arms, trying to look for his father. "Where? Where?"

Rafe ruffled his hair. "Hey, little guy, don't go all possessive. He's not yours only, you know. You have to share him with me and your mother."

Amid Danny's squeals of joy, Evelyn gaped at Rafe's smiling face. "But how…you never mentioned anything in your letters!"

Rafe put his arm around her shoulders and walked towards the exit. "It's a long story, I'll tell you on the way home."

"Home?"

"We agreed that the wedding ceremony would be in Tennessee, remember?" Rafe grinned at her. "I've found the best man, so we are getting married."

* * *

The night was getting cold, and a slight wind brushed the leaves of the palm trees adorning the doorway of the Haluna Pub. Danny and Ryan slowly walked up the pathway, and then they stopped. "I didn't tell her I was coming." Danny said.

"Me too." Ryan tried to tidy his hair. "You think I look presentable?"

Danny laughed. "Probably as presentable as you are ever going to get, if that amounts to much." Ryan breathed in deeply, then he took two steps forward, only to stop when he realized that Danny hadn't followed. "What you doing? Aren't you going in?"

"You go ahead." Danny sat down on a nearby bench. "I'd prefer to surprise her when she goes off her shift. Don't spoil my surprise, alright?"

Ryan shrugged. "Suit yourself." Then he went in.

Danny swung his legs as he waited for Jeslyn to finish her shift. He had purposely forgotten to tell her he was coming back, and it amused him to think of how surprised she would be to see him.

Soon, he saw Ryan and Dania leave the pub. Dania was busy exchanging stories with Ryan, and she didn't notice him. Then, the familiar auburn-haired figure emerged from the pub. Ryan shot a glance at him and gave him a thumbs-up. Danny grinned, but still he waited. He wanted to see Jeslyn's reaction to Ryan's sudden appearance, just so he could tell if she had been thinking of him. It was a selfish little wish on his part, to know if she had missed him as much as he had missed her.

Jeslyn looked at Ryan and Dania's retreating backs, then sighed and turned away. She looked so disappointed that he couldn't bear not letting her know he was there. Springing up from his perch on the bench, Danny jogged over to her, waving. "Jeslyn!"

She froze, and her surprise was evident on her face. "Danny?"

He stopped in front of her, beaming. "It sure is good to see you again."

She stood gaping at him for a moment. Then, an overwhelming sense of relief overcame her, and she threw herself into his arms. "I thought you weren't back yet. I almost thought you weren't…" Then she recovered herself, and glared at him. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Holding her close, Danny breathed in the comforting scent of her hair. "I've got so much to tell you. Come, I'll see you home. " On the way, he told her about how he met Rafe on the mission, and his promise to return to Tennessee. Jeslyn was happy for him, though she felt a slight pang of jealousy when she saw the way Danny's eyes sparkled when he spoke of Evelyn and his son. She knew that they were special to him, and it didn't feel good to know that she couldn't replace them in Danny's heart.

"So, you are leaving again? So soon?"

Danny said, "I was hoping you would come with me." He started fiddling with his jacket. "You know, sort of, show you the place I grew up in, and the people I've been telling you about since we met."

Jeslyn thought for a while, then smiled. "That would be great."


	12. Love, and Family

Author's note: Hi! This is going to be the last chapter. Thanks, Sachita, for your continuous support over the past few months.  I hope you have had as much fun reading as I had writing.

* * *

Chapter 12

A week later, Danny and Jeslyn arrived at Tennessee. The weather was great, with a few wisps of clouds in an otherwise clear blue sky. The perfect day for a wedding. One of the first things Jeslyn saw was the huge stretch of golden fields, the wheat stalks waving merrily in the light breeze. The scene before her was so peaceful that it was hard to imagine there was still a war going on. It felt almost like home. Almost.

Beside her, Danny took in a deep breath. The fresh smell of wheat hung in the air. It seemed such a long time when he left home to join the army, and he hadn't been home since. For the first time in years, he was home. Radiating happiness, he grinned at Jeslyn and made a theatrical flourish, "Welcome to my home."

Jeslyn smiled back at him, amused at the way Danny bounded down the lane, eager to make his way home. Someday, she would show him her home as well. Or what was left of it anyway.

He showed her his home, where they were going to stay for the duration of their stay. Jeslyn saw a picture of Danny's parents on Danny's bedside table, and she asked, "These are your parents? "

Danny's smile had a strained quality to it. "I don't talk about them much, I guess." And he left it at that. Jeslyn recognized his deliberate attempt to avoid the topic, and she let it go. She didn't talk about her parents much either. Danny would tell her when he was ready.

Brightening up, he said, "Come on, we have to get ready. They are expecting us in two hours' time."

Evelyn swirled around in her gown, making sure that there were no wrinkles or spots. Satisfied, she looked up and smiled as little feet padded hesitatingly into her room. "Morning, darling."

Danny eyed his mother suspiciously. "What are you doing, Mummy? Why are there so many people around?" He wasn't used to all this bustling activity that had been taking place during the past week. What's more, there were a lot of guests and visitors in the house today, and they were invading into his space. It was his home, he didn't want anyone else here, other than Daddy, of course, but Daddy wasn't here. That got him into a bad mood this morning, when he was woken up by the noise in the living room. He hadn't been able to find his mother, until now, and she was twirling around in a dress he hadn't seen before. Something was not right, and he was not happy.

"It's Mummy's big day today, honey." Evelyn explained cheerfully. Danny pouted, and turned to leave the room. He had asked Aunt Barbara just now too, and she also said something about his Mummy's big day. What was a big day anyway? Why was it his Mummy's big day? Actually, he didn't care much about big days. The most important thing is, Daddy is not here, and Mummy had promised he would come.

Frowning slightly, Evelyn went over and gathered him up, gently patting his head as he curled up automatically in her arms, "What's wrong, honey?" Usually, Danny was very talkative in the mornings, especially if there had been visitors. When Barbara and the others came over to visit, Danny would be keeping them busy. Well, his Aunt Barbara, Aunt Martha, Aunt Sandra were all in the living room now, but he didn't seem happy at all.

Mummy hadn't been paying him much attention during the last few days, always being busy with her hair, or the cleanliness of the house or everything else but him. Aunt Barbara, He wasn't used to this. Mummy used to carry him around whenever he asked her, and she always had lots of stories to tell him about his father, but she hadn't done any of that in the past few days. The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt, and he begun to sob. "You said Daddy was coming home. Where is Daddy?"

Evelyn blinked, then sighed. The same question again, but she could tell that her son was really upset this time. Patting him on the back, she murmured comforting words in his ear as they left the room. By the time they reached the living room, Danny had calmed down somewhat, and he raised his head from Evelyn's shoulder. The edges of his mouth curved upwards slightly when he saw Uncle Rafe coming towards them. He held out his arms expectantly.

At the sight of Danny's tear-streaked face, Rafe raised an eyebrow questioningly at Evelyn. She shook her head, and Rafe understood. Dotingly, Rafe took Danny in his arms and hugged him tight. "Morning, darling." Danny resembled his father so much, every time Rafe saw him it was as if he was seeing Danny at that age all over again.

"Morning, Uncle Rafe." Danny sniffed.

"Come on, honey. Mummy is getting married to Uncle Rafe today. You want that, don't you?" Danny tilted his head to one side, and considered the question carefully. He looked so earnest that Rafe couldn't resist pecking him on the cheek. Then, after careful thinking, Danny decided that he did want Mummy to marry Uncle Rafe. After all, Uncle Rafe had always been very nice to him. So, he nodded.

"Really? Then give Uncle Rafe a smile." Danny pursed his lips, then gave Rafe a grudging smile. Laughing, Rafe set him down on the floor. "Be good, alright? Uncle Rafe has to talk to Mummy." Danny promised, and he wandered over to the window to play by himself.

Rafe went over to Evelyn, and smiled. "You look great today." He took in the intricate braids in her thick brown hair, the careful make-up, earrings, necklace…she had spent a lot of effort getting ready. All this, for him.

Evelyn smiled back, her hazel eyes twinkling. How she had waited for this day. There had been times when she thought this day would never come, and she felt so thankful now that it was indeed happening to her. She had a lovely son, and she was going to get married to the guy she loved. What more could she ask for?

Actually, she had Danny to thank for all this. His unwavering support, his understanding, everything. But where was he? Rafe did say he was coming. Evelyn bit her lip. Young Danny was not the only one who wanted to see his father. She missed him too, and she had no idea how to explain to Danny if his father did not turn up.

Her worry must have shown on her face, as Rafe put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Don't worry," he whispered. "He will show up."

* * *

Danny was staring out of the window, almost bored to death. The adults were all busy talking about something, and there was nothing that he was interested in. Maybe he should go over and see what all the adults were talking about. It could be something about this big day that they say Mummy is going to have. Come to think about it, he still didn't know what a big day is yet.

Just as he made up his mind to ask his mother, he saw someone coming towards the gate. Two someones. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright. His head whipped around to stare at the picture Mummy had placed by the windowsill, which Mummy had taken with Uncle Rafe and Daddy a few years ago. He turned back to look at the person approaching the gate, and then looked back at his father's features, just to make sure.

A brilliant smile lit up his face, and he shot out of the house before any of the adults could stop him, running as fast as he could. "Danny!" Evelyn called out in astonishment, and hitching up her skirts, she hurried after him. The rest of the adults followed, and they almost plied into her when she stopped at the doorway. Puzzled, Rafe looked past Evelyn's shoulder, and he grinned knowingly. Ah, so that was what made young Danny so excited.

Danny Walker was just coming up the front lawn, with Jeslyn Hills following behind, and he was rather taken aback when a small figure came running towards him at full speed, all the while squealing, "Daddy!" However, despite young Danny's best efforts, he was only a two year old, and his maximum speed might not be as fast as he wanted it to be. It was just as well that the window hadn't been far from the front door, and he hadn't really been running for a very long distance. Already he was out of breath, but he still tried to keep running.

Danny blinked, and his mind finally registered what the little boy had just called him. His face lit up at the pleasant surprise, and he went forward eagerly. Kneeling down, he laughed happily, and caught his son just as he stumbled.

"Daddy!" Young Danny launched himself fully into his father's arms, and buried his face in his shoulder. Danny held his son tight, inhaling the soft scent of baby shampoo. "Hello, little one." Standing up, he carried his son back towards the house.

"You came." Evelyn smiled happily.

"It is my wedding, you know." Rafe said reproachfully.

"Hey, I wasn't late…yet." Danny glanced guiltily at his watch. Satisfied, he said, "Five more minutes, at least."

Rafe rolled his eyes, and shook his head in mock disappointment. He grinned as he remembered the countless number of times when Danny said just that to the discipline mistress at school, who would stare at him reprovingly and shake a warning finger. Danny will always be Danny. For all his brilliance in words, he was lousy at numbers.

"Before I forget, Rafe, Evelyn, meet Jeslyn." Danny gestured to Jeslyn, and they shook hands.

* * *

The wedding went on as planned. Rafe and Evelyn had wanted a simple wedding, so they only invited a few close friends. No matter what Evelyn, Rafe and Danny tried, young Danny refused to be pried from his father's arms. Throughout the short session at the neighbourhood church, everyone couldn't stop grinning as they watched the harried best man try to coax his son into keeping quiet. It must have been one of the most interesting wedding ceremonies ever.

Having overcome his initial excitement at finally meeting his father, young Danny had reverted to his usual inquisitive self. Danny found out that the hard way that his son had indeed taken after him in this aspect, and he finally understood what his teachers felt. He caught Jeslyn's eye, and mouthed a word of distress, but Jeslyn only laughed and turned away. Danny had a very interesting family indeed.

After the ceremony, the guests took their leave, and only the four of them were left. Young Danny had fallen asleep halfway through the ceremony, to Danny's relief, and he was now tucked safely into bed, hugging his favourite teddy bear. Before he joined Rafe, Evelyn and Jeslyn in the living room, Danny ruffled his son's hair, kissed his forehead and whispered, "Sweet dreams, my darling." Then, he walked softly out of the room and closed the door.

Danny and Jeslyn made for the door after having a long chat with Rafe and Evelyn, and they turned to say their goodbyes.

"Congratulations again to both of you." Danny shook their hands, and Rafe laughed. "Thanks, Danny. Hey, when will we be joining you for _your_wedding?"

Evelyn smiled too. "Yeah, when are you getting married, Danny?"

Danny looked over at Jeslyn, and reached out to take her hand, interlocking their fingers. She blushed furiously, and Danny grinned. "Soon, perhaps."

They walked towards Danny's home, still holding hands. Noticing Jeslyn was exceptionally quiet, Danny leaned over and whispered, "Come, I want to show you something." And he led her in the opposite direction. Puzzled, Jeslyn followed.

He led her up a small hill, and Jeslyn gasped at the sight. The sun was just setting, and the sky was a brilliant red. A few clouds floated lazily in the sky. Wheat fields stretched into the distance, waving in the breeze, dyed red by the sun. There was even a sparkling lake not far away, and a few birds sang overhead as they headed back to their nests. It was the perfect picture of peace and bliss, everything she could ever dream of. "Its beautiful." Now she understood why Danny had insisted that his home had the best sunset ever.

Sitting down beside her, Danny said, "This was my favourite spot when I was young." The two of them sat in silence for some time, admiring the scenery. Glancing over at Jeslyn, Danny hesitated, then said, "There is something else I want to show you."

Cocking her head to one side, she gave him a questioning look. Danny swallowed, then gathered up his courage. Reaching in his pocket, he produced a small box tied with a ribbon, and Jeslyn's breath caught in her throat.

She opened the box, and a small ring twinkled back at her. The words rushed out of Danny all at once, "Will you…marry me?"

Eyes sparkling, she flung her arms around him and kissed him in reply. This was turning out to be the best day in her life.


End file.
